Tailgate For A Motor Vehicle And A Motor Vehicle Having Such A Tailgate

ABSTRACT

In a tailgate for a motor vehicle, which comprises a lower tailgate body ( 18 ), on which a rear window ( 22 ) is mounted, on whose upper area a supplemental brake light ( 24 ) is provided, the rear window ( 22 ) is lowerable into the tailgate body ( 18 ), wherein the rear window, at least when the vehicle is driven, is lowerable only so far that its upper area provided with the supplemental brake light ( 24 ) upwardly projects from the tailgate body.

The invention concerns a tailgate according to the preamble of claim 1.The invention further concerns a motor vehicle having such a tailgate.

A tailgate is known from DE 195 37 594 C1, from which the preamble ofclaim 1 of the present application proceeds; a circumferential frameprojects upwardly from its lower tailgate body, which frame togetherwith the upper edge of the tailgate body encompasses an opening; a rearwindow is superimposed upon the opening. The edge area of the rearwindow is provided with a non-transparent band that visually concealsthe frame and that is shaded with rasterized dots over its entireillumination surface in the area of a supplemental brake light, which ismounted on the inside at the upper edge of the rear window, so that thelight of the supplemental brake light can pass through.

A supplemental brake light, which is mounted on the inside in the upperarea of a rear window is known from DE 919 95 78.6 U, which supplementalbrake light is connected via light conductors with at least one of theside brake lights.

The object underlying the invention is to provide a tailgate, which isusable in various ways, for a motor vehicle that facilitates designfreedom for the vehicle.

This object is achieved with a tailgate according to claim 1.

According to the inventive tailgate, the rear window provided with thesupplemental brake light in its upper area is lowerable into thetailgate body, wherein the lowerability, at least when the vehicle isdriven, is restricted such that the upper area provided with thesupplemental brake light upwardly projects from the tailgate body. Inthis way, it is ensured that the legal requirements of the supplementalbrake light, which is mounted higher than the side brake lights, arefulfilled at all times.

Dependent claims 2 to 6 are directed to advantageous furtherdevelopments and embodiments of the inventive tailgate.

Claim 7 indicates a motor vehicle equipped with an inventive tailgate.

In the following, the invention will be explained in further detail andin an exemplary manner with the assistance of a schematic drawing. Thesole FIGURE illustrates a perspective view towards a rear area of amotor vehicle.

The rear area of the illustrated vehicle includes a lower car body 2reaching approximately to the vehicle body shoulder; the lower car body2 comprises the lateral rear parts having the wheel housings and therearwardly-opening rear enclosure part that ends in the downwarddirection with a bumper 4. Only the outer shell parts of the car body 2are illustrated. The car body 2 is provided with a structural bow 6spaced from the rear end, which structural bow 6 forms a part of theouter shell of the car body; the side windows, which are not illustratedin detail, or e.g. rear side doors and the vehicle roof 8, which spansover the passenger compartment, are mounted in front of the structuralbow 6. An advantageously removable structural part 10 is rearwardlyattached to the structural bow 8 [sic, 6]; the upper side 12 of thestructural part 10 forms a part of the vehicle roof and that part endsrearwardly in an opening 14.

In the illustrated example, a tailgate body 18 is mounted on the leftside on the edge 16 of the rearwardly-opening car body 2; the tailgatebody 18 is pivotable about a substantially vertical axis A-A. A handlefor opening and closing the tailgate body 18 is denoted with 20.

A rear window 22 is accommodated in the tailgate body 18 so as to beupwardly and downwardly movable in a known manner; the rear window 22sealing abuts on the edge of the opening 14 of the structural part 10when the tailgate body 18 is closed and the rear window 22 is moved toits fully-raised position.

A legally-prescribed supplemental brake light 24 is provided on theupper edge portion of the rear window 22; the supplemental brake light24 is located above the upper edge of the tailgate body 18 in thefully-closed state of the rear window 22 as well as in its opened stateat least when the vehicle is driving and/or is in operation, such thatit is positioned higher than lights 26, which also contain brake lights,located on each respective side of the car body 2 in a known manner.

The rear window 22 can be constructed in a wide variety of ways. Forexample, the supplemental brake light 24 can simply be adhered to theinner side of the rear window 22. The power supply to the supplementalbrake light 24 can then take place via conductive paths that areintegrated in a film or in a vapor deposition, with which the edge ofthe rear window 22 is darkened. In the alternative, the supplementalbrake light 24 can be integrated, e.g., in a frame partially or fullyenclosing the edge 28 of the rear window 22 or mounted on only one side,wherein the current supply lines are integrated into the frame.

In principle, the upward and downward movability of the rear window 22can be restricted such that a lowering of the rear window 22 into aposition, in which the supplemental brake light 24 projects over theupper edge of the tailgate body 18, is not possible. In the alternative,the rear window could be lowered fully into the tailgate body 18, e.g.when the vehicle is stationary or is not in operation (ignition off), sothat, e.g., loading of the vehicle through the rear window opening ismade easier. When the vehicle is started up, the rear window is thenautomatically moved into the illustrated position.

According to the illustrated vehicle, the fulfillment of the legalrequirements with regard to brake lights is also ensured when thestructural part 10 is removed, wherein the rear window can be upwardlymoved as a quasi wind screen.

The inventive tailgate can be also utilized with other vehicles, e.g.station wagons, wherein relative to the design, the supplemental brakelight is constructed on the lowerable rear window such that greatfreedom exists for the design of the upper, rear roof enclosure and thisrear roof enclosure can, in particular, be designed very flat.

The tailgate body 18 can be designed without a frame and mounted on thecar body 2 such that the structural stability of the tailgate body 18 isprovided only by the tailgate body 18. In this case, the tailgate body18 can be rearwardly tiltable for loading the vehicle when the rearwindow is advantageously fully accommodated within the tailgate body 18and is then brought into the position illustrated in the FIGURE fordriving, wherein the rear window can be open (position as illustrated)or closed.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

-   -   2 Car body    -   4 Bumper    -   6 Structural bow    -   8 Vehicle roof    -   10 Structural part    -   12 Upper side    -   14 Opening    -   16 Edge    -   18 Tailgate body    -   20 Handle    -   22 Rear window    -   24 Supplemental brake light    -   26 Light    -   28 Edge

1-7. (canceled)
 8. A tailgate for a motor vehicle, comprising: a tailgate body, a rear window mounted on the tailgate body and being lowerable into the tailgate body, and a supplemental brake light provided on an upper area of the rear window, wherein the lowerability of the rear window into the tailgate body is restricted such that the upper area of the rear window provided with the supplemental brake light remains visible and above the tailgate body at least when the motor vehicle is being driven.
 9. A tailgate according to claim 8, wherein the supplemental brake light is affixed to the rear window with adhesive.
 10. A tailgate according to claim 9, further comprising planar conductive leads attached to an edge area of the rear window and electrically coupled to the supplemental brake light for conducting power to the supplemental brake light.
 11. A tailgate according to claim 10, wherein a structural beam for mounting the tailgate on a vehicle body is formed by or disposed completely within the tailgate body.
 12. A tailgate according to claim 8, further comprising planar conductive leads attached to an edge area of the rear window and electrically coupled to the supplemental brake light for conducting power to the supplemental brake light.
 13. A tailgate according to claim 8, further comprising a frame partially or completely encompassing an edge area of the rear window, the supplemental brake light being integrated in the frame and the frame being at least partially lowerable into the tailgate body with the rear window.
 14. A tailgate according to claim 13, wherein power supply conductors for the supplemental brake light are integrated into the frame.
 15. A tailgate according to claim 14, wherein a structural beam for mounting the tailgate on a vehicle body is formed by or disposed completely within the tailgate body.
 16. A tailgate according to claim 8, wherein a structural beam for mounting the tailgate on a vehicle body is formed by or disposed completely within the tailgate body.
 17. A tailgate according to claim 8, wherein the rear window is arranged and constructed to be completely lowerable into the tailgate body when the motor vehicle is stationary or is not in operation so as to facilitate loading of the motor vehicle through a rear window opening.
 18. A motor vehicle comprising: a tailgate according to claim 8 pivotably mounted to a vehicle body and a removable structural part forming a rear part of a vehicle roof and vehicle sides, wherein a rearward-facing opening designed to sealingly abut an edge of the rear window, when the rear window is disposed in an upwardmost position, is defined in the removable structural part.
 19. A motor vehicle according to claim 18, wherein the rear window is arranged and constructed to be completely lowerable into the tailgate body when the motor vehicle is stationary or is not in operation so as to facilitate loading of the motor vehicle through a rear window opening.
 20. A motor vehicle according to claim 18, wherein the tailgate body is rearwardly tiltable when the rear window is fully accommodated within the tailgate body.
 21. A motor vehicle comprising: a tailgate according to claim 15 pivotably mounted to the vehicle body via the structural beam and a removable structural part forming a rear part of a vehicle roof and vehicle sides, wherein a rearward-facing opening designed to sealingly abut an edge of the rear window, when the rear window is disposed in an upwardmost position, is defined in the removable structural part.
 22. A motor vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the rear window is arranged and constructed to be completely lowerable into the tailgate body when the motor vehicle is stationary or is not in operation so as to facilitate loading of the motor vehicle through a rear window opening.
 23. A motor vehicle according to claim 22, wherein the tailgate body is rearwardly tiltable when the rear window is fully accommodated within the tailgate body.
 24. A motor vehicle comprising: a vehicle body, a tailgate pivotably mounted on the vehicle body, a rear window being upwardly and downwardly movable within the tailgate, and a supplemental brake light disposed at an upper portion of the rear window, wherein, at least when the motor vehicle is being driven, the rear window is prevented from being lowered so far into the tailgate that the supplemental brake light is no longer visible from the rear of the motor vehicle.
 25. A motor vehicle according to claim 24, wherein the rear window is arranged and constructed to be completely lowerable into the tailgate when the motor vehicle is stationary or is not in operation so as to facilitate loading of the motor vehicle through a rear window opening, and the rear window is arranged and constructed to be automatically moved such that the supplemental brake light is disposed above the tailgate when the motor vehicle is started.
 26. A motor vehicle according to claim 25, wherein the tailgate is rearwardly tiltable when the rear window is fully accommodated within the tailgate.
 27. A motor vehicle according to claim 24, further comprising a removable structural part forming a rear part of a vehicle roof and vehicle sides, wherein a rearward-facing opening designed to sealingly abut an edge of the rear window, when the rear window is disposed in an upwardmost position, is defined in the removable structural part. 